In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Monday, 20 August 2018.
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Body washed up on Richards Bay pier could be missing Sharks Board crewman Daily News reports that the body of a man washed up on a pier in Richards Bay on Saturday prompted speculation that it could be that of the missing KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board employee who went missing after the boat he was in capsized. The body was taken away by authorities and has yet to be identified. Siyabonga Gabela, a KZN Sharks Board employee went missing a week ago when the boat he was in with four others capsized in rough seas. Two colleagues were rescued by lifeguards and survived the ordeal. Richard Gumede and Mandlakayise Gumede tragically died. The crew were carrying out routine shark net servicing when huge waves tipped the boat over. Mike Anderson Reade, KZN Sharks board spokesperson, said the body had not yet been identified and so he could not comment. A source said that the body was badly decomposed. Read this report by Zainul Dawood in full at Daily News. Read too, KZN Sharks Board boat survivors have nightmares after tragedy, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NUM to march to Harmony Gold to raise concerns about safety in Vaal Reefs area ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Matlosana region in the North West said on Monday that members would be marching to Harmony Gold in Vaal Reefs, Orkney, on Tuesday to raise concerns around safety. Harmony bought various shafts in the area from AngloGold Ashanti and took over the operations in March 2018. NUM Matlosana regional secretary Masibulele Naki said that since Harmony took over, there had been an increase of illegal miners who were freely staying on the company’s property and were allegedly terrorising and raping women in the area. “We urge all community members within Vaal Reefs - Orkney to join the protest to raise their safety concerns to the company regarding the mine’s properties being used as hubs by some rapists and illegal miners,” said Naki. According to Naki, an incident had occurred in which a woman had been raped by around 15 illegal miners, but the company had done nothing so far to ensure that its properties were not the hubs of rapists. He claimed that, despite all the dangers faced by workers and community at large, Harmony was refusing to provide transport for workers from their residential areas to shafts. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read the NUM’s press statement at NUM News Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Samwu finally agrees with Salga to 7% increase for municipal workers BusinessLive reports that following protracted wage negotiations‚ the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and the SA Local Government Association (Salga) have finally agreed to a 7% salary increase for municipal workers. "We fought hard to ensure that in the difficult economic and political climate we were negotiating in‚ our members could get the best possible deal‚" said Samwu general secretary Simon Mathe in a statement. The two parties have signed a three-year agreement that also provides for an additional 0.5% salary increment for employees earning below R9‚000; a 7% homeowner’s allowance; a non-pensionable allowance of R350 for employees earning less than R9‚000; and a maximum employer contribution towards medical aid that will increase by the same salary increment. "As these negotiations have been concluded‚ we will be going back to the drawing board to restrategise on how we will be approaching the next negotiations. We will first convene a bargaining conference‚ which will characterise the posture that shall be taken as we negotiate again‚" observed Mathe. Read this report by Nonkululeko Njilo in full at BusinessLive. Read Samwu’s press statement at SA Labour News
Cosatu to push for review of labour laws on job cuts and strikes BusinessLive reports that a number of labour laws are set to come under scrutiny at Cosatu’s national congress in September, with the union federation pushing for amendments to some sections of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). It wants section 189 of the LRA, which stipulates the procedures for retrenchments, to be strengthened to make it harder for employers to get rid of workers to "protect profits". The federation will also be setting the tone for a mass action plan that will culminate in a strike to force the government to impose a moratorium on all retrenchments until the jobs summit. Regarding protests to promote or defend the socioeconomic interests of workers, Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said the process of applying for permission to strike to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), as required by the law, needed to be reviewed. "The process of getting the certificate to protest is very cumbersome," he indicated. Also, the federation wants the laws governing permissions for secondary strikes to be made more flexible. Cosatu’s focus on the labour laws coincides with Parliament’s conclusion of the amendments to the LRA and Basic Conditions of Employment Act, with the introduction of a code of good practice that seeks to prevent prolonged strikes that harm the economy. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive
Search for political home ‘risks dividing’ Cosatu at its September congress BusinessLive reports that according to Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali, the labour federation is at risk of divisions because of external political issues — including the fate of the SA Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC. He said the debate around Cosatu’s agenda at the national congress in September could "destabilise" the labour federation if "it has to come to a push" and there should be no consensus among the workers. Over 2,000 Cosatu members will decide whether to support the SACP’s resolution to contest elections on its own and will analyse the ANC’s performance since the 2014 elections before deciding whether to support the governing party at the 2019 polls. The SACP has backtracked on the decision — for now — saying after the July alliance political council meeting that it would continue campaigning for the ANC ahead of the 2019 elections. However, Ntshalintshali admitted that the union federation found itself in a predicament. "We need to decide at the congress if by choosing something different are we not going to divide Cosatu in terms of politics, and in that context ... making Cosatu apolitical, with other people saying we don’t want to be divided," he observed. There was also the possibility that because the 2019 elections were so close, Cosatu members could decide to put the decision on the SACP on hold, a turn of events that would allow the federation a "much needed breather", according to the general secretary. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Cosatu faced with an existential threat, at SA Labour News
Over half a million applications for vacant cop jobs Timeslive reports that police on Monday indicated that they had received over half a million applications to fill vacant positions across the country. "In May this year‚ the service embarked on a vibrant recruitment drive across the country for the 2018/2019 Basic Police Learning Development Programme (BLDP) intake. Applications closed on the 15th of June 2018 and it must be noted that the Service will not be receiving anymore applications until the recruitment process for 2019/2020 commences‚" the SA Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement. To date‚ 517,000 applications have been received from the 1,146 police stations nationwide, while 63‚000 candidates have so-far been called and sent for psychometric testing. Those who conform to the set requirements as determined by the SAPS will also undergo physical fitness assessments and a final medical examination assessment. The Deputy National Commissioner for Human Resources in the police force‚ Bonang Mgwenya‚ said they were happy to see the keen interest. Read this report by Naledi Shange in full at Timeslive
Qualifications of yet another senior City of Tshwane official in question Sowetan reports that the City of Tshwane has launched an investigation into the status of the qualifications of its emergency services boss Previn Govender, in the latest of scandals involving the hiring of top officials in the capital. This follows the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in Tshwane having written to executive mayor Solly Msimanga questioning Govender’s qualifications. Govender was appointed to the position, which has an annual salary of more than R1.2-million, in August last year. Among his listed qualifications are an Advanced (associate) Diploma in Fire Technology obtained from the Southern African Emergency Services Institute (Saesi) in June 1996, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Fire Engineering Science from the Institution of Fire Engineers in the UK, which he obtained in December of the same year. However, the SA Qualification Authority (SAQA) has indicated that neither qualification has the accreditation as claimed. The city manager, Moeketsi Mosola, has vowed to launch an investigation into the information that has come to light. This is the latest scandal to hit Tshwane’s top echelons after Msimanga’s chief of staff, Marietha Aucamp, resigned under a dark cloud when it was discovered that she had lied about her qualifications. Last month, it also emerged that executive head in the mayor’s office, Stefan de Villiers, was appointed to the position that required a bachelor’s degree as a minimum qualification, which he did not possess. Read more of this Sowetan report by Sipho Mabena & Penwell Dlamini at SA Labour News Deputy principal at Margate school probed for using dead woman's qualifications Sunday Tribune reports that a deputy principal at Margate Middle School is being investigated for allegedly using a dead teacher’s qualifications to land senior education posts. Sindiswa Base is alleged to have taken over the qualifications of Nonkanyiso Fumba, who died in 2011 of natural causes. Her family confirmed her death and said they were aware Base had been using her qualifications. Fumba’s brother-in-law, Xolile Njikija, said his family were concerned by how Base obtained his dead sister-in-law’s qualifications, which included an advanced certificate in education and a national professional diploma in education, both from Rhodes University in 2008. A university spokesperson confirmed that the qualifications were legitimate. Base’s matric certificate submitted to the education department also allegedly belonged to Fumba. Base is alleged to have used the qualifications to secure a job at Gabangezwa High School before landing a position at the Margate school. It is believed she started as a level one educator and was later promoted to deputy principal. A police spokesperson said an inquiry had been opened for further investigations. A Department of Education spokesperson said they viewed the allegations as “extremely serious” and were investigating. Base said she had no idea who Fumba was and denied using the deceased woman’s qualifications. Last week, the SA Council for Educators (Sace) said it was planning to hand over 19 cases of teachers allegedly using fake qualifications to the Hawks. Read this report by Nabeelah Shaikh in full at Sunday Tribune
Treasury proposes a five-year extension of youth employment tax incentive BusinessLive reports that the government has proposed a five-year extension of the employment tax incentive to promote employment, particularly of young workers. The proposal is contained in the draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, as released by Treasury for public comment. The proposal was mentioned in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address in February, as well as in his programme to stimulate youth employment. The incentive, which was introduced in January 2014 and was extended for a further two years until February 2019, works as a deduction from PAYE of part of the salary of a worker aged below 30 and earning less than R6,000. Treasury acting chief director of economic tax analysis Chris Axelson said the proposed extension was based on a review that indicated the tax had "modest" positive effects on growth rates of youth employment in claiming firms. Read this report by Linda Ensor in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Pray for Afro Worldview (ANN7) employees, tweets owner Mzwanele Manyi The Citizen reports that with the Afro Worldview news channel’s contract with MultiChoice coming to an end on Monday, its owner, Mzwanele (Jimmy) Manyi, took to Twitter, asking South Africans to pray for his employees whose future was uncertain. Should satellite broadcaster MultiChoice not renew the contract, it remained unclear whether Afro Worldview, formerly known as ANN7, would continue to exist, and Manyi was clearly hoping for divine intervention. His tweet read: “Dear South Africans, Please put this innocent team of Bread Winners in your prayers. They NEED their jobs.” The tweet caused a stir as Twitter users shared their opinions, with some showing little sympathy for the former Gupta channel, while others offered words of hope. MultiChoice has been tightlipped on who the bidders were for the slot which would be open if Afro Worldview went off air. Read this report by Chisom Jenniffer Okoye in full at The Citizen State job cuts will create more consultants, Cosatu warns City Press reports that Cosatu has warned that job cuts in the public sector would lead to a skills exit, leaving departments with no option but to rehire those who left to work as consultants. Speaking last week following a special sitting of the trade union federation’s central executive committee, general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said that Cosatu was “furious” with the minister of public service and administration, Ayanda Dlodlo. He said that she had been disingenuous in her responses to reports that there were plans to cut 30,000 jobs in the public sector. “Our issue is that we don’t trust the minister. We want the ANC to come out and say, ‘it shall not happen’ … We can’t be pushing for a job summit on one hand and then firing people on the other,” Ntshalintshali stated. On whether or not Cosatu would arrange a meeting with the ANC and Dlodlo, the general secretary said that they would not meet with the minister. “We don’t want to get an explanation from her on this thing. We want the ANC to see Dlodlo, that is their homework. They are the leading party,” Ntshalintshali indicated. Cosatu last week went as far as threatening to take to the streets in protest. Ntshalintshali said the issue of whether or not workers would be mandated to vote for the ANC would be decided by delegates at next month’s national conference. Read this report by S’Thembile Cele in full at Fin24
Dismissed Eskom whistle-blower Suzanne Daniels returns to CCMA, again BusinessLive reports that the former head of legal and compliance at Eskom Suzanne Daniels plans to tell the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) that she was dismissed for blowing the whistle on state capture when she challenges her removal on Wednesday. Daniels was "summarily dismissed" in July following the recommendations by an independent disciplinary inquiry, which found her guilty of "serious misconduct". She was found guilty on four charges. However, according to Daniels, her removal was directly linked to her revelations before the parliamentary inquiry into allegations of state capture at power utility Eskom — for which she received public praise at the time. As a result, Daniels claims she is protected by the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA). Daniels further alleges Eskom wanted to remove her as it had already replaced her with two people irregularly employed to the legal department, which Eskom denies. Daniels had previously been suspended, but in March, the CCMA ordered Eskom to reinstate her and give her five months’ pay "for the unfair suspension". Daniels is now asking the CCMA only for compensation for being subjected to what she claims are unfair labour practices. Read this report by Pieter van der Merwe in full at BusinessLive
SAA launches app to communicate with staff, as it denies blocking access to negative stories about the airline BusinessTech reports that South African Airways (SAA) has launched an app ‘to promote communication between management and its employees’. This comes as the state owned airline denied media reports that it has tried to block staff from accessing negative stories about the company. The app will enable employees to interact with the chief executive officer, Vuyani Jarana, and management in a more direct and secure manner, SAA said. The app can be downloaded on company-issued mobile devices as well as on personal devices to those employees who have access to computers only. “The intention here is to enable communication through as many channels as possible for employees to use what is convenient to them,” said SAA spokesperson, Tlali Tlali. He went on to comment: “We are astounded by bizarre claims that the airline has taken steps to prevent its employees from accessing negative stories about the company using its equipment (company issued mobile devices and computers). This is not only untrue, but also impossible to implement at SAA.” He added that the airline has no record of having communicated any such decision or taking steps to block employee access to content. Read this report in full at BusinessTech. Read too, SAA staff blocked from reading negative articles on work laptops and phones, at Timeslive Other general internet postings
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